A brochure on Victoria Hall

Victoria Hall has presided over the main street of Cobourg for more than a century. In the 1850s, Cobourg's leading citizens decided to express their confidence in the future by building themselves a fine town hall. They held a design competition which the famous architect, Kivas Tully, won. From 1856, when the cornerstone was laid by Sir Allan MacNab, until 1860, when it was opened, the building was under construction by local builders David and William Burnet. Edward, the young Prince of Wales, much later to be King Edward VII, came to Cobourg in the course of his Canadian tour of 1860 and on September 6 officially opened Victoria Hall, named for his mother. He stayed on for a Grand Ball and midnight supper, much to the delight of the local citizenry.

Kivas Tully's three-storey building has many features, both inside and out, worthy of mention. As you approach, note the imposing entrance portico with its four Corinthian columns, Greco- Roman roofed porch and speaker's balcony. The building of white brick construction faced on three sides with buff Cleveland sandstone, is elaborately decorated with symbols of the British Isles, carvings of lyres, dolphins, shells, a bearded head and other intricate examples of the stone-cutter's art. The ceiling of the portico is decorated with the restored painting of Cobourg's original coat of arms.

The symmetry of the building is emphasized by its 96 ample multi-paned windows and a glance toward the roof reveals the splendid crown-topped cupola with its weather-vane and four crested clock-faces.

Inside, the grand design continues. Tully designed an E-shaped building to accommodate a variety of services. The foyer, the deep- well courtroom, the two grand staircases and the Concert Hall are the most impressive areas. However, the building has always housed the municipal offices for Mayor, Clerk and Treasurer, and the Council Chamber. Until 1971, the Masonic Order also had rooms here, which is why Sir Allan MacNab, (formerly Prime Minister of the United Canadas) as Grand Master of the Masonic Order for Canada, was asked to lay the cornerstone.

Through the years successive town councils paid scant attention to the maintenance of Tully's building and the inevitable happened. In 1970-71 Victoria Hall was declared structurally unsafe and it was vacated. A band of Cobourg citizens, interested in local history, organized themselves into the Society for the Restoration of Victoria Hall and hired Peter John Stokes as architect to draw up plans to restore the building to its original grandeur and also to bring its operating facilities into the 20th century.

After Phases I and II of the restoration were completed, the project had to be shut down for a whole year because of financial problems, and when Phase III finally resumed, the architectural firm of Chapman and Walker was hired to complete the restoration. Years of hard work by dedicated volunteers and generous donations by thousands of individuals, corporations and foundations and grants from federal, provincial and municipal governments finally paid off and October 7, 1983 happily saw the official re-opening of Victoria Hall by the Governor-General of Canada, the Rt. Hon. Edward Schreyer. As in 1860, the festivities were crowned with a Grand Ball.

Today, Floor by Floor

Areas shown in heavy type are open for viewing by arrangement.

Basement: Community Services, Town Engineer's offices, Holding Cells for court.

Ground Floor: Foyer, Mayor's Office, Municipal offices, Courtroom, Family Court and offices, James Cockburn Room (separate pamphlet available)

Second Floor: Crown Attorney's office, Concert Hall, east side: Citizens' Forum, Ryerson/Guillet Room, west side: Concert Hall Office

Third Floor: east side: Municipal Council Chamber, Committee Rooms

west side: Art Gallery of Northumberland

The Courtroom is one of the few remaining deepwell court- rooms in Canada still in use. It retains its original window arrangement, wood-work, floor-plan and trompe-l'oeil wall-painting of the Royal Arms.

The James Cockburn Room has all the original proportions of Kivas Tully's design, and represents a law-office such as James Cockburn rented in Victoria Hall in the 1860s before going to Ottawa as a Member of Parliament and first Speaker of the House of Commons at Confederation.

The Concert Hall with its elegant wall and ceiling painting, fine windows and doorways, and splendid proportions is one of the most impressive rooms in Canada, its 35 foot ceiling taking in three floors.

The Ryerson/Guillet Room houses display cases for historical items of importance to Cobourg and area.

The Citizens' Forum is a reception area for refreshments and small meetings.

The Art Gallery of Northumberland offers regularly changing exhibitions of art work of all kinds. It also has a large permanent collection and is a National Exhibition Centre.

The Council Chamber is used for regular meetings of the Cobourg Town Council. The Coat of Arms of the town can be seen on the wall behind the Mayor's dais.

Victoria Hall offers modern conveniences for visitors. It is air- conditioned and climate-controlled, has washrooms on each floor, including facilities for the disabled in the basement, and elevator service in each wing.

Victoria Hall is situated at 55 King Street West (Highway 2) in the centre of Cobourg. It can be approached from either east or west by following Highway 2. Alternately, the visitor may wish to use Highway 401 and turn off into Cobourg at either Exit 472 (Burnham Street) or Exit 474 (Division Street) and follow directions into town.

Because Victoria Hall is a working building, some parts of it are not always open for public viewing. It is therefore advisable to contact the Cobourg and District Chamber of Commerce if you are considering a visit. Group tours can be arranged by phoning the Cobourg and District Chamber of Commerce (416) 372-5831 during business hours or by writing to the Tourism Co-ordinator, 212 King St. W., Cobourg K9A 2N1.